Semichronic oral toxicity of cadmium: 1. Studies on rats

Cadmium (in the form of CdCl₂) was fed to groups of 20 male and 20 female rats each over a period of 3 months in concentrations of 0, 1, 3, 10 and 30 ppm. Appearance, behaviour, food consumption, growth and mortality of the treated rats of all groups were not affected during the 3-month period. The cadmium concentrations did not cause blood, liver or kidney damage. The systolic blood pressure of the treated animals was not increased. Autopsies and histopathological investigation of the animals showed no sign of any alterations. Cadmium accumulated dose-dependently in the kidneys and liver. Concentrations of cadmium up to 30 ppm in their feed were tolerated by rats over a period of 3 months without harm.     

A Randomized Trial of Pocket-Echocardiography Integrated Mobile Health Device Assessments in Modern Structural Heart Disease Clinics

Objectives

This study sought to determine whether mobile health (mHealth) device assessments used as clinical decision support tools at the point-of-care can reduce the time to treatment and improve long-term outcomes among patients with rheumatic and structural heart diseases (SHD).

Device Embolization in Structural Heart Interventions: Incidence,Outcomes, and Retrieval Techniques

Device embolization is a rare complication of transcatheter structural heart interventions. Although the majority of device embolizations can be treated in a semielective manner, some are life threatening and require prompt intervention. Awareness of this potential complication, and knowledge of retrieval tools and techniques are essential to the structural interventionalist. This paper offers a succinct review of the incidence, and outcomes of device embolization during common structural heart interventions. It also provides an overview of the essential component of the “percutaneous retrieval toolbox” and suggests a systematic algorithmic approach for the management of device embolization.     

Intracardiac Echocardiography in Structural Heart Disease Interventions

Intracardiac echocardiography has historically been used to guide a limited number of transcatheter cardiac interventions. However, the tremendous advances in structural heart disease interventions in the last decade led to a growing interest in intracardiac echocardiography as a potential alternative to transesophageal echocardiography that mitigates the need for endotracheal intubation. Nonetheless, the scarcity of data, the imperfection of the current probes, and the limited experience among operators prevented a wider adoption of this technology. This review summarizes the contemporary relevant evidence and provides the structural interventionalist with an illustrative guide on the use of intracardiac echocardiography to guide various structural heart interventions.     

Anti-snake venom activities of ethanolic extract of fruits of Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) against Russell's viper venom: Characterization of piperine as active principle

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Piper longum L. fruits have been traditionally used against snakebites in north-eastern and southern region of India.

Aim of the study

To examine the ability of ethanolic extract of fruits of Piper longum L., Piperaceae (PLE) and piperine, one of the main active principles of Piper longum, to inhibit the Russell's viper (Doboia russelii, Viperidae) snake venom activities.

Materials and methods

Anti-snake venom activities of ethanolic extract of fruits of Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) and piperine against Russell's viper venom was studied in embryonated fertile chicken eggs, mice and rats by using various models as follows: inhibition of venom lethal action, inhibition of venom haemorrhagic action (in vitro), inhibition of venom haemorrhagic action (in vivo), inhibition of venom necrotizing action, inhibition of venom defibrinogenating action, inhibition of venom induced paw edema, inhibition of venom induced mast cell degranulation, creatine kinase assay and assay for catalase activity.

Results

PLE was found to inhibit the venom induced haemorrhage in embryonated fertile chicken eggs. Administration of PLE and piperine significantly (p<0.01) inhibited venom induced lethality, haemorrhage, necrosis, defibrinogenation and inflammatory paw edema in mice in a dose dependent manner. PLE and piperine also significantly (p<0.01) reduced venom induced mast cell degranulation in rats. Venom induced decrease in catalase enzyme levels in mice kidney tissue and increase in creatine kinase enzyme levels in mice serum were significantly (p<0.01) reversed by administration of both PLE and piperine.

Conclusions

PLE possesses good anti-snake venom properties and piperine is one of the compounds responsible for the effective venom neutralizing ability of the plant.